Wrestling fans know Lio Rush for his high-flying moves, intense energy, and power in the ring. But now, the All Elite Wrestling star is stepping into a different arena, and he’s doing it with the same intensity.
Rush just dropped his new EP Feel Like a Giant, and if you thought he was only built for the squared circle, think again.
“This album isn’t just music—it’s momentum,” Rush said in a press release. “It was an opportunity to channel the grit and intensity of wrestling into the soul of music. This is about taking a leap of faith into uncharted territories.
After a decade in professional wrestling, Lio felt the timing was perfect to step into a new lane.
“This is year 10 for me, being a professional wrestler, traveling the world, accomplishing what I’ve accomplished… and I’m letting the world know that I’m proud of it,” he said. “I truly do feel like a veteran in our industry. I’m still considered pretty young, but I’ve lived like three, four, five different lives in wrestling. Now feels like the time to not only remind people what I’ve done, but also let them know we’re just getting started.”
That sense of growth and arrival is what inspired the name of the project.
“[Feel Like a Giant] is about realizing what you’ve done in the industry, not being afraid to own it, and remaining confident,” Rush explained. “A lot of people crumble under pressure, they crumble under things when they start to overthink…but I’m starting to embrace all of the pressure, all the weight that’s been put on me.”
The EP kicks off with the track “Ready,” which also happened to be the first song he recorded for the project.
“It kind of had a very dramatic, cinematic feel…My sister produced the beat, so it felt close to home. As soon as I made that song, I was like, OK—It feels like we’re in that season; it feels like we’re in that mode.”
Rush keeps it real on the mic, blurring the line between his wrestling persona and his personal truth. A standout line—“I’m real. I’m him. And they know”—isn’t about arrogance. It’s about owning your space.
“I’m staying true to myself. I’m putting myself out there for everybody to digest and just owning that,” he said. “If people don’t accept that or people don’t like it, then, oh, well.”
While wrestling requires a constant show of strength, Rush says music gave him a chance to show something more: vulnerability.
“I think I have to have that layer of vulnerability in order for people to be able to relate to what it is I’m talking about,” he shared. “I’m also talking about certain things that I’ve been through or places that I’ve been.”
That desire to stay locked in and avoid distractions played a big role in how he created the EP.
“I tracked the entire album myself, on the East Coast, back at home. I didn’t want any outside voices. I wanted it to come straight from me,” he shared.
Lio Rush draws parallels between being a wrestler and a musician—both require presence, pressure, and performance.
“Just having that larger-than-life kind of aura and presence about you, the traveling schedule. I mean, the wrestling schedule is actually probably a little bit more gruesome than a touring schedule,” Rush shared. “Larger than life, you know the type of being… like rock stars in a sense.”
He even has dreams of taking his new music on tour.
“I would love to tour my music, especially with this project,” Rush shared. “I’ve released singles and EPs in the past. Maybe I’ll have some of those songs be a part of the set list. But I think with this project being out, it’s a great driving force.”
Top cities on his wishlist? L.A., his hometown DMV, and of course, New York. Internationally, he’s eyeing Tokyo or London—places he’s already connected with through wrestling.
C
Check out the full interview. Feel Like a Giant is streaming on all platforms.
